This L3U (Level 3 Uncollated) dataset contains global daily Sea Surface Temperature (SST) on a 0.02 degree grid resolution. It is produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Clear Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) using L2P (Level 2 Preprocessed) product acquired from the Meteorological Operational satellite B (Metop-B) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer 3 (AVHRR/3) (https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/AVHRRF_MB-STAR-L2P-v2.80 ) in Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC) mode as input. It is distributed as 10-minute granules in netCDF-4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). There are 144 granules per 24-hour interval. Fill values are reported in all invalid pixels, including land pixels with >5 km inland. For each valid water pixel (defined as ocean, sea, lake or river), and up to 5 km inland, the following major layers are reported: SSTs and ACSPO clear-sky mask (ACSM; provided in each grid as part of l2p_flags, which also includes day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags). Only input L2P SSTs with QL=5 were gridded, so all valid SSTs are recommended for the users. Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with valid SST. Ancillary layers include wind speed and ACSPO minus reference Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) Level 4 (L4) SST. The ACSPO Metop-B AVHRR FRAC L3U product is monitored and validated against iQuam in situ data https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam in the NOAA SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam . SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated, and checked for consistency with L2P and other satellites/sensors SST products, in the NOAA ACSPO Regional Monitor for SST (ARMS) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms . More information about the dataset is found at AVHRRF_MB-STAR-L2P-v2.80 and in (Pryamitsyn et al., 2021).

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), starting with S-NPP launched on 28 October 2011, is the new generation of the US Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). The ACSPO SNPP/VIIRS L3U (Level 3 Uncollated) product is a gridded version of the ACSPO NPP/VIIRS L2P product available here https://doi.org/10.5067/GHVRS-2PO28 . The L3U output files are 10-minute granules in netCDF4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). There are 144 granules per 24hr interval, with a total data volume of 0.5GB/day. Fill values are reported at all invalid pixels, including pixels with >5 km inland. For each valid water pixel (defined as ocean, sea, lake or river, and up to 5 km inland), the following layers are reported: SSTs, a subset of l2p_flags (including day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags), wind speed, and ACSPO SST minus reference (Canadian Met Centre 0.1deg L4 SST; available at https://www.doi.org/10.5067/GHCMC-4FM03). Only L2P SSTs with QL=5 were gridded, so all valid SSTs are recommended for the users. Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with valid SST. The ACSPO VIIRS SST products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) using the NOAA SQUAM system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). BTs are monitored against RTM simulation in MICROS (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/micros ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). The v2.80 is an updated version from the v2.61 with several L2P algorithm improvements including two added thermal front layers, mitigated warm biases in the high latitudes, and improved clear-sky mask.

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), starting with S-NPP launched on 28 October 2011, is the new generation of the US Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES). NOAA is responsible for all JPSS products, including SST from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The L2P SST product is derived at the native sensor resolution (~0.75 km at nadir, ~1.5 km at swath edge) using NOAA's Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) system, and reported in 10-minute granules in netCDF4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). SSTs are derived from Brightness Temperatures (BTs) using the Non-Linear SST (NLSST) algorithms. An ACSPO clear-sky mask (ACSM) is provided in each pixel as part of variable l2p_flags, which also includes day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags. Only ACSM confidently clear pixels are recommended (equivalent to GDS2 quality level=5). Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with QL=5. The ACSPO VIIRS SST products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) using the NOAA SQUAM system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). BTs are monitored against RTM simulation in MICROS (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/micros ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). A reduced size (0.5GB/day), equal-angle gridded (0.02-deg resolution), ACSPO L3U product is also available at https://doi.org/10.5067/GHVRS-3UO28 where gridded L2P SSTs with QL=5 only are reported. The v2.80 is an updated version from the v2.61 with several algorithm improvements including two added thermal front layers, reduced L2P SST data size, mitigated warm biases in the high latitudes, and improved clear-sky mask.

The MetOp First Generation (FG) is a European multi-satellite program jointly established by ESA and EUMETSAT, comprising three satellites, MetOp -A, -B and -C. The primary sensor onboard MetOp-FG, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/3 (AVHRR/3) contributed by NOAA, measures Earth emissions and reflectances in 5 out of 6 available bands (centered at 0.63, 0.83, 1.61, 3.7, 11 and 12 microns), in a swath of 2,600km from an 817km altitude. These data are collected in a Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC) mode, with pixel size of 1.1km at nadir. Metop-B launched on 17 September 2012 is the second in the MetOp-FG series. The NOAA Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) Level 2 Preprocessed (L2P) SST product is derived at the full AVHRR FRAC resolution and reported in 10 minute granules in NetCDF4 format, compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). Subskin SSTs are derived using the regression Nonlinear SST (NLSST) algorithm, which employs three bands (3.7, 11 and 12 microns) at night and two bands (11 and 12 microns) during the day. The ACSPO AVHRR FRAC L2P product is monitored and validated against quality controlled in situ data, provided by the NOAA in situ SST Quality Monitor system (iQuam) https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam , in another NOAA system, SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam . SST imagery and clear-sky masking are continuously evaluated, and checked for consistency with other sensors and platforms, in the NOAA ACSPO Regional Monitor for SST (ARMS) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms . MetOp -B orbital characteristics and AVHRR/3 sensor performance are tracked in the NOAA 3S system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/3s .The L2P Near Real Time (NRT) SST files are archived at PO.DAAC with 3-6 hours latency, and then replaced by the Re-ANalysis (RAN) SST after about 2 months later with identical file names. Two features can be used to identify them: different file name time stamps and netCDF global attribute metadata source=NOAA-NCEP-GFS for NRT and source=MERRA-2 for RAN. A reduced size (0.45GB/day), equal-angle gridded (0.02-deg resolution) ACSPO L3U product is available at https://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTB-3US28

NOAA-20 (N20/JPSS-1/J1) is the second satellite in the US NOAA latest generation Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), launched on November 18, 2017. NOAA is responsible for all JPSS products, including SST from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The L2P SST product is derived at the native sensor resolution (~0.75 km at nadir, ~1.5 km at swath edge) using NOAA's Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) system, and reported in 10-minute granules in netCDF4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). SSTs are derived from Brightness Temperatures (BTs) using the Non-Linear SST (NLSST) algorithms. An ACSPO clear-sky mask (ACSM) is provided in each pixel as part of variable l2p_flags, which also includes day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags. Only ACSM confidently clear pixels are recommended (equivalent to GDS2 quality level=5). Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with QL=5. The ACSPO VIIRS SST products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) using the NOAA SQUAM system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). BTs are monitored against RTM simulation in MICROS (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/micros ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). A reduced size (0.5GB/day), equal-angle gridded (0.02-deg resolution), ACSPO L3U product is also available at https://doi.org/10.5067/GHV20-3UO28 where gridded L2P SSTs with QL=5 only are reported. The v2.80 is an updated version from the v2.61 with several algorithm improvements including two added thermal front layers, reduced L2P SST data size, mitigated warm biases in the high latitudes, and improved clear-sky mask.

NOAA STAR produces two lines of gridded 0.02deg super-collated L3S LEO datasets from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, one from the NOAA afternoon JPSS (L3S_LEO_PM) and the other from the EUMETSAT mid-morning Metop-FG (L3S_LEO_AM). The L3S_LEO_PM is derived from JPSS satellites (in v2.80, NPP and N20) with VIIRS sensor onboard (0.75km/nadir). The L3S_LEO_PM dataset is produced by aggregating L3U datasets from two JPSS satellites ( https://doi.org/10.5067/GHVRS-3UO28 and https://doi.org/10.5067/GHV20-3UO28 ) and covers from Feb 2012-present. The L3S-LEO-PM data are reported in two files per 24hr interval, one daytime and one nighttime (nominal JPSS local equator crossing times around 01:30/13:30). Data is in NetCDF4 format, compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). The Near-Real Time (NRT) L3S-LEO data are archived at PO.DAAC with approximately 6 hours latency and then replaced by the Delayed Mode files about 2 months later, with identical file names. In addition to SST, the L3S-LEO files report the location and intensity of thermal fronts. The NRT/DM data are seamlessly stitched with the full-mission Reanalysis (RAN). The ACSPO L3S products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) in the NOAA SQUAM system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). Quality of SST imagery, clear-sky mask and thermal fronts is evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). NOAA plans to include data from other afternoon platforms and sensors, such as N21 and Aqua MODIS, into the future releases of the L3S_LEO_PM.

The MetOp First Generation (FG) is a European multi-satellite program jointly established by ESA and EUMETSAT, comprising three satellites, MetOp -A, -B and -C. The primary sensor onboard MetOp-FG, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/3 (AVHRR/3) contributed by NOAA, measures Earth emissions and reflectances in 5 out of 6 available bands (centered at 0.63, 0.83, 1.61, 3.7, 11 and 12 microns), in a swath of 2,600km from an 817km altitude. These data are collected in a Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC) mode, with pixel size of 1.1km at nadir. Metop-C launched on 7 November 2018 is the third and last in the MetOp-FG series. The NOAA Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) Level 2 Preprocessed (L2P) SST product is derived at the full AVHRR FRAC resolution and reported in 10 minute granules in NetCDF4 format, compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). Subskin SSTs are derived using the regression Nonlinear SST (NLSST) algorithm, which employs three bands (3.7, 11 and 12 microns) at night and two bands (11 and 12 microns) during the day. The ACSPO AVHRR FRAC L2P product is monitored and validated against quality controlled in situ data, provided by the NOAA in situ SST Quality Monitor system (iQuam) https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam , in another NOAA system, SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam . SST imagery and clear-sky masking are continuously evaluated, and checked for consistency with other sensors and platforms, in the NOAA ACSPO Regional Monitor for SST (ARMS) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms . MetOp -C orbital characteristics and AVHRR/3 sensor performance are tracked in the NOAA 3S system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/3s .The L2P Near Real Time (NRT) SST files are archived at PO.DAAC with 3-6 hours latency, and then replaced by the Re-ANalysis (RAN) SST after about 2 months later with identical file names. Two features can be used to identify them: different file name time stamps and netCDF global attribute metadata source=NOAA-NCEP-GFS for NRT and source=MERRA-2 for RAN. A reduced size (0.45GB/day), equal-angle gridded (0.02-deg resolution) ACSPO L3U product is available at https://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTC-3US28

NOAA-20 (N20/JPSS-1/J1) is the second satellite in the US NOAA latest generation Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), launched on November 18, 2017. The ACSPO N20/VIIRS L3U (Level 3 Uncollated) product is a gridded version of the ACSPO N20/VIIRS L2P product available here https://doi.org/10.5067/GHV20-2PO28 . The L3U output files are 10-minute granules in netCDF4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). There are 144 granules per 24hr interval, with a total data volume of 0.5GB/day. Fill values are reported at all invalid pixels, including pixels with >5 km inland. For each valid water pixel (defined as ocean, sea, lake or river, and up to 5 km inland), the following layers are reported: SSTs, a subset of l2p_flags (including day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags), wind speed, and ACSPO SST minus reference (Canadian Met Centre 0.1deg L4 SST; available at https://www.doi.org/10.5067/GHCMC-4FM03). Only L2P SSTs with QL=5 were gridded, so all valid SSTs are recommended for the users. Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with valid SST. The ACSPO VIIRS SST products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) using the NOAA SQUAM system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). BTs are monitored against RTM simulation in MICROS (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/micros ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system (https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ).The v2.80 is an updated version from the v2.61 with several L2P algorithm improvements including two added thermal front layers, mitigated warm biases in the high latitudes, and improved clear-sky mask.

This L3U (Level 3 Uncollated) dataset contains global daily Sea Surface Temperature (SST) on a 0.02 degree grid resolution. It is produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Clear Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO) using L2P (Level 2 Preprocessed) product acquired from the Meteorological Operational satellite C (Metop-C) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer 3 (AVHRR/3) (https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/AVHRRF_MC-STAR-L2P-v2.80 ) in Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC) mode as input. It is distributed as 10-minute granules in netCDF-4 format, compliant with the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). There are 144 granules per 24-hour interval. Fill values are reported in all invalid pixels, including land pixels with >5 km inland. For each valid water pixel (defined as ocean, sea, lake or river), and up to 5 km inland, the following major layers are reported: SSTs and ACSPO clear-sky mask (ACSM; provided in each grid as part of l2p_flags, which also includes day/night, land, ice, twilight, and glint flags). Only input L2P SSTs with QL=5 were gridded, so all valid SSTs are recommended for the users. Per GDS2 specifications, two additional Sensor-Specific Error Statistics layers (SSES bias and standard deviation) are reported in each pixel with valid SST. Ancillary layers include wind speed and ACSPO minus reference Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) Level 4 (L4) SST. The ACSPO Metop-C AVHRR FRAC L3U product is monitored and validated against iQuam in situ data https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam in the NOAA SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam . SST imagery and clear-sky mask are evaluated, and checked for consistency with L2P and other satellites/sensors SST products, in the NOAA ACSPO Regional Monitor for SST (ARMS) system https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms . More information about the dataset is found at AVHRRF_MC-STAR-L2P-v2.80 and in (Pryamitsyn et al., 2021).

NOAA produces two lines of gridded 0.02deg super-collated L3S LEO SST datasets from Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, one from the NOAA afternoon JPSS (L3S_LEO_PM) and the other from the EUMETSAT mid-morning Metop-FG (L3S_LEO_AM). The L3S_LEO_AM is derived from Metop-A, -B and -C. The Metop-FG satellite program was jointly established by ESA and EUMETSAT. The US NOAA, under the Initial Joint Polar System Agreement with EUMETSAT, has contributed three AVHRR sensors capable of collecting and transmitting data in the Full Resolution Area Coverage (FRAC; 1km/nadir) format. The L3S_LEO_AM dataset is produced by aggregating three L3U datasets from MetOp-FG satellites ( http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTA-3US28 , http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTB-3US28 , http://doi.org/10.5067/GHMTC-3US28 ) and covers from Dec 2006-present. The L3S-LEO-AM data are reported in two files per 24hr interval, one daytime and one nighttime (nominal Metop local equator crossing times around 09:30/21:30, respectively), in NetCDF4 format, compliant with the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2). The Near-Real Time (NRT) L3S-LEO data are archived at PO.DAAC with approximately 6 hours latency and then replaced by the Delayed Mode files about 2 months later, with identical file names. The NRT/DM data are seamlessly stitched with the full-mission Reanalysis (RAN). In addition to SST, the L3S-LEO files report the location and intensity of thermal fronts. The ACSPO L3S products are monitored and validated against in situ data in the NOAA iQuam system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/iquam ) in the NOAA SQUAM system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/squam ). Quality of SST imagery and clear-sky mask is evaluated in the NOAA ARMS system ( https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/socd/sst/arms ). NOAA plans to include data from other mid-morning platforms and sensors, such as Metop-SG METImage, into L3S_LEO_AM.